Young blind cricket fans in Bangladesh are introduced to a slightly modified form of the sport tailored especially for them. Let's learn more about this up-and-coming sport.

Wearing dark glasses under a beating sun a group of cricketers in downtown Dhaka look like any other enthusiasts in the cricket-mad city.

But the young team are not just whacking balls far into the distance, they're making history as the first blind sportsmen to take up the game in Bangladesh.

As it flies through the air the batsmen and fielders track and react to the ringing sound of bells. A special white plastic ball has bells inside to alert batsmen and fieldsmen on each team. Teams are made up of four totally blind and seven partially sighted players.

Bowlers shout "play!" just before throwing the ball underarm.

16 year-old Abid Hossain is one of 33 participants. He lost his sight when he was five years-old after contracting typhoid.

[Abid Hossain, Blind Cricket Player]: (male, bengali)
"I am a blind student. I never thought that I would be a cricket player. When I came to know that there was a camp for blind people to learn how to play cricket I joined and now I am feeling very good. My goal is to become a good cricket player and one day I will play for Bangladesh to bring pride for the country."

Almost a dozen countries around the world now play the slightly-adapted game, played with a standard bat on a field that is two-thirds the size of a normal wicket. At the moment Pakistan is the World Cup title-holder. Over there, matches have been held for more than ten years.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=HTQCPv5FJWo

Rabz

May 24, 2008, 11:21 AM

Great initiative.

Good to see them getting a chance to enjoy themselves.

Isnaad

May 24, 2008, 01:19 PM

WoW. Awesome! This is our Bangladesh :)

prantika

May 24, 2008, 02:15 PM

AMAZING!!!!!!
totally great!
i hav heard abt it for the first time....but sounds awesome!!!
happy to hear that bangladesh has introduced it in our country!...
all de best for these playes,....esp/.....Abid hossain!!!

Kabir

May 24, 2008, 05:39 PM

This is superb. Two thumbs up for the initiative.

Yameen

May 24, 2008, 06:10 PM

a match should be organised btween the Blind 11 vs The Brainless 11 (national team)

My money on Blind 11 to win..

But very good initiative to introduce blind cricket in bangladesh, cant wait until its in full swing

BANFAN

May 25, 2008, 02:53 AM

Really Good initiative,

They are likely to be better than out national team, who have eyes but hardly use them. They all get rathar distracted by their eyes.

Antora

May 25, 2008, 05:14 AM

I heard about this on the news a few days ago, and it's such a good initiative. It actually showed them practising, and the way they play is soo kool! Best wishes to all our blind cricketers:)

lamisa

May 25, 2008, 10:54 AM

I heard about this on the news a few days ago, and it's such a good initiative. It actually showed them practising, and the way they play is soo kool! Best wishes to all our blind cricketers:)